U of I considering ACT/SAT waiver; UIS approves it

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - The University of Illinois took another step toward potentially dropping its requirement of ACT/SAT tests for the fall 2021 semester. 

A one-time waiver was approved by the board of trustees' executive committee, according to The News-Gazette. 

The measure is not fully approved yet, as President Tim Killeen must execute it at the Urbana campus after it is considered by the school's academic Senate. The Senate's executive committee voted Wednesday to get feedback from senators in a web poll before a final vote happens next week.

Should the U of I approve this waiver, it would follow the University of Illinois Springfield, which announced Thursday it will not require standardized test scores from high school seniors as part of its application process. UIS announced its decision to approve a one-year moratorium on the tests came after the U of I board's executive committee vote.

U of I Executive Vice President Barb Wilson said test dates for the ACT and SAT are canceled for the spring and into the early summer, and it's unclear when they might start again. She said technological issues have created barriers against a push from the testing companies to have home testing, creating difficulties for students who want to find a way to take the exams. 

The waiver would allow undergraduates applying for admission in the fall 2021 semester to have the option. International students must still complete an English-proficiency exam. 

Admissions considers a number of other factors when it evaluates students, including GPA, grade trends, course rigor, honors, AP classes, extracurricular activities and leadership activities, Wilson said. More weight will be placed on those factors if ACT or SAT scores aren't evaluated.

The fall 2021 option is separate from discussions about the broader issue of standardized testing requirements, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Kevin Pitts told the newspaper. 

Multiple other universities, including fellow Big Ten schools Indiana and Michigan State, have decided to make standardized tests optional for the fall 2021 semester.